Sanguine
by Etc Flip
Summary: Can you really be so sure that an abused child holding an ancient power is sane? Maybe they should have looked deeper before unleashing him into the world... No longer a one-shot!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Plot bunny. No longer a one-shot!  
**

**Summary: Can you really be so sure that an abused child holding an ancient power is sane? Maybe they should have looked deeper before unleashing him into the world. With his berserker mentality active, the ever-smiling blond jinchuriki known as Uzumaki Naruto turns into a bloodthirsty beast at the sight of danger.**

* * *

Sanguine

Kakashi sighed to himself as he made himself comfortable on the downstairs chair of Tazuna's house. Team 7 had reached the place relatively quickly, but only after running through three ninja, all of which had had the capability of killing his students.

Well, two of his students. The other one... disturbed him. Could it have possibly been the fox's influence?

No. There had been no foul chakra in the air. It was all on his own. How could the Hokage have misjudged him? The blond was always smiling, always happy. Every insult, sneer, and cold look seemed to bounce off of him. His exterior seemed impervious to the isolation.

Maybe they had overlooked his mental instability. It was as if he was bipolar. Two personalities, one that only appeared when he actively fought. Iruka had mentioned something about it, but the masked jounin had brushed it off as adrenaline and stress during the fight with Mizuki.

Only now did he realize what Iruka was talking about. It made Kakashi sick to his stomach.

How could the happy-go-lucky blond be so... bloodthirsty? So merciless? So... _destructive_?

A shudder went down Kakashi's spine. The sight of the blond bathed in glistening blood was sure to remain in his memories until he died. Sakura and Tazuna had emptied the contents of their stomach, while Sasuke froze and had to force his muscles to properly move again.

Those two missing-nin from Kirigakure had sprang from their hiding spot and attacked as soon as the escort party had passed their puddle. Kakashi well-aware about their presence the entire time and wanted to see how his students would react. Sakura reacted much like he thought she would.

Sasuke would have reacted... but Naruto's actions made him stop. The blond had rushed forward, hands and fingers outstretched. Using raw strength, the blond tackled and snapped the arm of one of the ninja before violently _ripping it off_.

The other ninja, stunned at the ferocity of the blood-covered blond, was caught unawares when Naruto tackled him and tore him apart. Tearing a person apart with raw strength was impressive, if not unsettling. Very unsettling. The sight of of freely falling entrails only exacerbated the horrendous scene.

But Naruto had done so and Kakashi had seen enough. The two missing-nin were headed towards Tazuna before Naruto killed them in his brutal fashion.

Tazuna was afraid when they walked back. So was Sakura. Even Kakashi was slightly afraid, although he would never admit it. What kind of a jounin was he if he was afraid of a fresh genin?

But that genin had torn apart two chunin-level ninja without a second thought. Sure, it was part of a mission, but most genin had some sort of conscience. They would usually break down after killing someone for the first time.

Perhaps that was why Naruto's actions had been so disturbing. Rather than enter shock after what he had done, the blond merely washed off the blood at the nearest water source and returned back to his cheerful, optimistic self.

He treated the previous event as if it hadn't happened. Or, perhaps, as if it was a completely normal thing.

Kakashi rubbed the bridge of his nose. The next part could have been much more gruesome. The famed Demon of the Mist, Momochi Zabuza, had appeared. Gato had, predictably enough, hired another missing-nin to take out Tazuna.

That had been messy. Again, the merciless, bloodthirsty personality manifested itself. Zabuza had been amused. Kakashi hadn't been. He had been worried. A jounin-level opponent should never be taken lightly.

And then the clones came. Naruto was seemingly inexhaustible in that manic state, as the clones kept coming to attack Zabuza. The man was much more powerful, but the advantage of numbers eventually began to overwhelm him.

The Demon of the Mist hadn't expected a "baby genin" to attempt to rip his face off. Nonetheless, with so many blond copies attacking him without restraint, Zabuza found himself outgunned when Kakashi joined the fray.

However, before Naruto could kill the missing-nin, another ninja appeared. Naruto tried to attack this one as well before the masked ninja vanished with Zabuza in tow. Then his cheerful persona returned once more.

It should have been different.

A rustle caught Kakashi's attention. Looking up to where the stairs were, he saw Naruto walk down, all vestiges of sleep vanishing from the blond as he sighted Kakashi. The blond flashed his sensei a grin before raiding the fridge.

"Naruto... what are you doing?"

"Getting something to eat. There's no food here and I'm hungry!"

Given what was happening to Wave at the moment, of course there wouldn't be food. "Naruto... are you all right?" For some reason, Kakashi didn't want to directly ask Naruto why he had done what he had done.

Naruto closed the fridge and turned to his sensei. He walked to an adjacent chair and sat down onto it, giving Kakashi a curious look. "What do you mean, sensei?"

Kakashi frowned, eying the blond warily. The previous events did not apply. It was like they weren't even registered in the blond's mind.

_Or maybe he just didn't see them as morally wrong.  
_

The creeping, strangled feeling that had settled itself in Kakashi's stomach began to intensify. "Why did you attack the ninja like that?"

Naruto squinted his eyes at Kakashi in the darkness. For a split second, Kakashi could swear they gleamed red. "What are you talking about, sensei? I just wanted to see."

Kakashi blinked, not understanding what his student was talking about. See? See what? The sight of their broken bodies? The expression of horror on everyone's faces? The palpable fear emanating from his teammates?

"See what?"

Naruto giggled childishly. "The colors. They look pretty cool. I saw them when Mizuki-teme tried to attack me a month ago."

_The color of blood._

That was what he had wanted to see. But where was this desire when he was cheerful and optimistic, or _normal_? Maybe the Hokage should have checked twice...

Kakashi took a deep breath before speaking again. "What do you mean by "pretty cool", Naruto?"

This time, Kakashi caught the gleam of red. It lingered a bit longer, but vanished when Kakashi focused on it. Still, no foul chakra began to permeate the air. There was no interference.

"I don't know."

"What?"

"I don't know," Naruto repeated. This time, the eyes did not gleam. Or maybe it was so subtle that Kakashi didn't catch it.

He didn't particularly like the latter thought.

"Well... be careful, Naruto. Killing is much more traumatic then you think." Perhaps for the people that witnessed Naruto tearing his enemies apart...

Naruto nodded, gave his sensei an unnerving grin, and then left. Before he completely faded from view, he turned to Kakashi and smiled maniacally. This time, Kakashi caught the slit, red pupils shining in the darkness.

"**What can I say? The color of blood describes me perfectly...**"

* * *

**Well, that's it. It was a plot bunny that I needed to get rid of. Fun-fact: Sanguine is a blood-red color, but it has an alternate definition: cheerfully optimistic. Simply make Naruto's berserker button more bloodthirsty and the term describes him perfectly.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, I decided to continue this. It's no longer a one-shot, but I highly doubt it'll be a complete, descriptive story. The chapters will probably be slightly longer than before, but will still be rather short.**

* * *

Sanguine

Haku was afraid. It wasn't the first time he had been afraid, but the sheer fear he felt within his core was something else. It was primal, with his instincts screaming at him to grab Zabuza and run away from the innocent-looking blond in front of him.

Unfortunately, he had no such luck. Zabuza was in combat with the Copy-nin Kakashi of the Sharingan and Haku himself was fighting two genin teammates...

If they could be called that. The one with dark hair was intent on staying out of the blond one's – Naruto, that was his name – way as the blond growled and snarled in a variety of attempts to attack Haku.

Fingers clutched needles and released them in torrents towards the two children.

Sasuke couldn't evade them and took the brunt of Haku's attack. What Naruto did only increased Haku's unease.

Disgusting, red chakra catapulted from the blond's chakra points, incinerating the needles before they could make contact. Luckily, Naruto's teammate evaded the burst of chakra before it could make contact.

Naruto was suddenly on all fours, roaring like some beast from a horror story. It was loud, bloodthirsty, and extremely _concussive_.

Haku really should have abandoned the battle. The wall of sound that the blond emitted slammed into the crystalline, icy mirrors, shattering them like they were fragile panes of glass windows.

The blond stood up, his arms dangling in front of his torso, a crazed, toothy smile on his face. The disgusting chakra again surrounded him and the blond vanished in a flicker of speed.

Sasuke watched as Naruto vanished from view before slamming into the retreating, masked hunter-nin that had evaded them earlier on in the mission.

Despite the mirrors cracking and falling apart, the chilling atmosphere didn't fade. Sasuke forced his body to move and follow the missing-nin and Naruto as the two bounced on the concrete ground of the bridge.

His eyes widened when he saw Haku, the easy-going boy who had found him in the forest near Tazuna's house after a harsh training session.

Haku was on his knees, fragments of his porcelain mask embedded into his rapidly-swelling face. Naruto had a firm grip on his throat; the red chakra had receded back into the blond's body.

Sasuke swallowed thickly as he heard Naruto begin to speak. The words did not sound like the things the boisterous blond would say. Perhaps that was what made it even more horrifying – Naruto was speaking in a casual, cheerful tone.

"You know, you don't look so tall when you're down on your knees, _meat_." The unnerving grin was back on Naruto's visage. Haku made to speak, but Naruto clenched harder on the teen's throat. "As fun and interesting as your begging sounds, I have no interest in that for the moment."

No change in tone.

"Then kill me, for I have failed in protecting my most precious person."

Naruto's response was to laugh. This time, it wasn't his familiar, overly-loud way of laughing. It was uneven, with both high and low pitches. The blond found Haku's statement immensely amusing. His cackling made that obvious to Sasuke.

"You're too naïve."

With a sickening _crack_, Naruto crushed Haku's neck and ripped the head from the body. The mist began to clear, revealing a Kakashi with his hand through Zabuza's chest. It also revealed the sickening sight of Naruto and Haku.

Sakura paled immensely and swayed on her feet for a moment. Tazuna took that time to purge his stomach of what he had eaten that morning.

And then the sound of clapping drew everyone's attention. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.

"Well, well, well... I see Zabuza and his little brat didn't need to be dealt with anyway." Gato snorted. "Get old man Tazuna." The goons behind him moved forward after receiving the order.

Why should they care? It was fifty to four. Surely those numbers would mean success. The jounin looked dead on his feet and two of the brats looked like they were going to faint. Even Tazuna himself seemed resigned to his fate.

The third brat, though... "Who are you?" he asked, grinning at the short, pudgy man.

Gato frowned. The blond didn't seem as scared as he should be. Why did he sound so happy? It was like he was visiting a close cousin or perhaps had received praise from a parent. "I'm Gato and you five over there are going to have to go," he explained, reasoning with himself that it wouldn't matter since his enemies were going to die anyway.

Naruto's eyes flickered between red and blue before he finally smiled chillingly. The temperature in the area seemed to drop even lower than before, causing most of the people present to shiver.

In a streak of red, Naruto was gone. There was a howl of pain and Gato fell to the floor, clutching his right arm – or what used to be his right arm. It had been sliced through by what could be seen as claws.

Naruto looked at the forearm he was holding and frowned before casting it away. "Huh, I missed. Oh well, there's always next time!"

Gato tried to stutter out a response, but Naruto was suddenly in front of him, his kunai lodged firmly into the businessman's brain. "That time is now," the blond whispered. A grin so wide it threatened to crack his face in half appeared and he directed his gaze to the now-fleeing mercenaries.

He made to go after then, but Kakashi stopped the blond with a hand to the shoulder. "Naruto, that's enough. The mission is over. We'll be leaving in a few days. Do you understand?"

"But, Kakashi-sensei-"

"Do you understand, Naruto?" Kakashi sternly said.

The blond pouted and acquiesced to his captain's commands.

* * *

"Naruto, why did you not keep Haku alive?"

"He was an enemy," the blond evenly replied, tilting his head at Kakashi.

"He could have been interrogated for information."

"Sasuke knew more about him than me."

Kakashi sighed. He had attempted to counsel Naruto after the strange encounter he had with him days before, but nothing had come of it. The Hokage, or possibly Jiraiya would have to inspect him for any damages in the seal.

His demeanor had to be related to the seal. If it wasn't, well...

Kakashi didn't want to think about that prospect.

"That may be true, but you could have knocked him out. Why kill him? His bloodline could've been useful to us." As in, the Hidden Leaf.

Naruto shrugged. "His body is useful to us dead or alive. I just made it so that he wouldn't... struggle. Yeah, struggle." He grinned disarmingly, but Kakashi wasn't fooled.

"Sasuke told me that Haku mentioned something about Zabuza, but he didn't catch your reply. What did you say, if you don't mind me asking?"

"What if I do mind you asking?"

"Then I'm turning it into an order."

Naruto looked up at the ceiling of Tazuna's house before nodding to himself. "I told him to stop being so childish," the blond finally responded.

"Is that it?" Kakashi pressed. He got a nod in reply. "Why did you say that?"

"It felt like the right thing to say in that situation, considering how Zabuza acted previously. I mean, we _are_ ninja, are we not?"

If that was what a ninja was, Kakashi would take off his mask and pierce Obito's eye. Sasuke had mentioned that Naruto hadn't acted in conjunction with him – there was no teamwork. It was just Naruto acting like a berserker.

The usage of the Kyuubi's chakra had also been alarming. Kakashi had felt it, as had Sakura and Zabuza. There hadn't been a change in his attitude though, and that was what set off warning bells.

He needed to bring this up to the Hokage.

"Are you done interrogating me?"

Kakashi blinked, startled out of his thoughts. He nodded slowly to Naruto, opting not to change the word used.

The Hokage needed to know about this.

* * *

The Hokage stared at one of his top jounin. The topic of discussion was one Kyuubi jinchuriki and that jinchuriki's behavior. Iruka had brought up worries months ago, but they had been brushed off as adrenaline.

If Kakashi was nervous about his students' well-being – _not_ Naruto's – then there was a problem.

"There is no distinction between using the Kyuubi's chakra and his ordinary fighting behavior?" Hiruzen asked, his hands clasped in front of him.

The masked jounin in front of him shook his head. "None, sir. His other personality comes out to play during battles, however. The two personalities are distinct, but they have similarities and often blend during battle. Outside of threatening situations, he acts like a normal boy."

Well, as normal as a jinchuriki could be.

"Are you sure about this? I'd like to think Naruto is more stable than some of the... _others_," the Hokage muttered.

Once more, Kakashi nodded. "Are you sure you don't want to speak with him? The exams are coming up and I don't think it's a good idea to let a loose cannon into them, especially one with no regard to his teammates."

The Hokage mulled the idea around his head for a moment. "You said that he has no reservations about killing? Nothing at all?"

"He has had no trauma as far as I know and he takes pleasure in the killing of enemies." Naruto would probably revel in the murder of friendlies as well if Kakashi's presence didn't spell death for a traitor.

"I am no counselor, but I will speak to him."

A dark thought flashed through Kakashi's mind before he attempted to squelch it. He didn't succeed and instead decided to bury it within his subconscious.

_Naruto would probably attempt to kill the counselor too..._

* * *

"Are you guys ready for this?" Naruto said, smiling widely. "I can't wait to show everyone just what we learned! I'm going to be a chunin right after this and then I'll be Hokage!"

Sakura nodded hesitantly, but didn't smile like Naruto did. Sasuke eyed the blond warily and followed him into the academy, where the first part of the chunin exams were being held.

After passing through the door that had a genjutsu placed on it – Naruto whispered it into the ears of his teammates, causing them to flinch – they all entered the room where the exam was to take place.

Sasuke had rather vehemently refused a challenge from a strange, spandex-wearing genin named Lee. His time around Naruto had tempered his arrogance and turned it into a slight fear of being killed. He still had a goal to complete and did not wish to be torn apart by a manic Naruto.

The battle against Haku had made it clear that Naruto had no intention of protecting his team; even in an impending fight, such as when Team Seven encountered the team from the Hidden Sand.

Naruto had ignored the boy wearing makeup and his female teammate. The blond jinchuriki had seemed strangely fixated on the younger-looking member of the team, the one that was wearing a gourd.

Gaara of the Sand, he was called. Both Naruto and Gaara had introduced themselves, and Sasuke immediately knew something had passed between them.

It might have been some sort of acknowledgment between their similarities, as Gaara was leaking killing intent like it was going out of style.

Sasuke shuddered to think of what would happen if the two ended up befriending each other and instead focused on the exam room.

Their classmates were also in the room. Some insulted them, some whined to themselves, and others uttered greetings. Ino had hugged Sasuke, much to his ire, but Sakura was strangely subdued. Ino eyed the pink-haired girl strangely before shrugging and snuggling into the Uchiha's chest.

There wasn't much conversation after that, aside from some of the chunin-hopefuls glaring at the younger genin of the Hidden Leaf. Everything passed without incident and the exam, which was a written test with an emphasis on cheating, was handed out.

In another reality, Sasuke and Sakura might have been worried about Naruto. He had never had an aptitude for written tests, after all.

But he had finished writing down the answers before anyone else and promptly put his head into his hands with a large smile on his face. Everyone else in the room was still writing and Sasuke wondered how his male teammate had gotten his answers.

Insane or not, Naruto wasn't very intelligent. It was almost as if someone else had given Naruto the answers before they entered the room... or perhaps while he was in the room.

Ibiki called for everyone to stop and revealed the final question. It was all an intricate bluff, of course, but Naruto had immediately called him out on it.

It gave Team Seven some hope that the silly, goofy boy from the academy was still there somewhere and not a bloodthirsty mass of destruction waiting to be unleashed.

Many teams had passed that day due to Naruto's simple reply that even a genin could become Hokage and that he would "fire Ibiki's ass for being a buzzkill!".

Another proctor, who was named Anko, led them all to the Forest of Death, where the second exam would be taking place. The creepy grin that appeared on Naruto's face unnerved more than a few people.

"Anticipating the fights, are you?" Anko said, casually slicing Naruto's cheek and licking up small amount of blood that had seeped onto her kunai. "I assure you, some of the beasts in this forests are more dangerous than you genin."

"Oh, I like you," Naruto replied, grinning toothily at the proctor.

Sasuke and Sakura felt their hopes fall, just a little bit.

* * *

**I don't have an idea for the Forest of Death yet, so I'm stopping here. I wrote the first chapter of this two months ago, so please tell me if there are any contradictions or errors.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Why not on Halloween?**

* * *

Sanguine

The Forest of Death was filled with the cries of animals. It wasn't silent, but it sure was eerie. Trees blended together, turning the forest into a maze of leaves and wood. If one wasn't prepared, the forest could easily take them alive.

Team Seven was such a team. They weren't prepared, for their teacher had been more cautious in training them. One was a meant to keep the team together. Another was a flight hazard. The final one... was completely different, in all assumed aspects.

Nonetheless, the team trudged through the grass and bushes. Sasuke and Sakura were sure to check their surroundings, for there were deadly tigers, giant leeches, and various kinds of venomous insects lurking about.

One of the problems was that the forest was dim. The sunlight had trouble piercing the veil of leaves, leading shadows to cling to the corners of the forest.

Naruto was not afraid, nor was he worried about deadly animals or poisonous insects. His body was immune to poison and deadly animals were... a nuisance. A nuisance and a fun game, but nothing more. So, he was happy, optimistic about his chances of getting through the Forest of Death.

His bright grin remained on his face even as his teammates flinched and cringed at every snap of a twig, or call of a bird. Why they were nervous or apprehensive, he didn't know.

He'd protect them from the forest. After all, a dead person didn't need to be protected from the prospect of injury or death.

Naruto stopped suddenly, his grin opening to reveal elongated canines. He sniffed the air hungrily and snapped his head towards a direction. From the bushes stepped out a ninja from the Hidden Rain Village, gas mask and all.

"I see some rookies here," the ninja said, his voice sounding oddly deep through the mask. "Hand over your scroll and you can run to your parents."

Sasuke and Sakura stiffened. They weren't afraid of the ninja. They were more afraid of what was going to happen, of the sight they would have to again endure.

"My mom would've been angry if I did that," Naruto exclaimed. He was oddly cheerful, even as his malevolent, red aura began to appear.

The enemy ninja shuddered at the malicious, disgusting feeling that rolled over him. He was in over his head; he shouldn't have attempted to confront them. He shouldn't have-

The Ame-nin looked down at his chest and saw an arm, clothed in orange. A foot planted itself on his stomach and kicked off, sending the still-warm corpse back into the bushes. Some animal would likely devour it.

In Naruto's blood-bathed hands was a heart. The blond boy was peering at it intently, as if he was trying to figure out just how the organ worked. Then he shrugged, throwing the heart back in a carefree manner.

"Well, shall we go? He doesn't have a scroll on him."

"D-Did you check his body?" Sakura timidly asked, avoiding Naruto's eyes.

"Well, shall we go? _He doesn't have a scroll on him_," Naruto re-uttered, this time with an even wider smile. His expression might've been cheerful, but his eyes were glinting in amusement.

What could they do? Attack their own teammate? Even if Sasuke wanted to prove himself, to see how much stronger he had become, he didn't have a death wish. No, he needed to complete his goal, and him dying was not within the parameters of that goal.

Maybe, if Naruto was a bit more... sane, he would've liked to fight him. As it was now, Sasuke had no intention of fighting someone who could call upon such intense power, such intense bloodlust; it had nearly been enough to overpower a jounin.

Sasuke was but a genin. So was Sakura and the pink-haired kunoichi didn't want to die either. She didn't want to be torn apart in a particularly gruesome manner, to be sent home to her parents in not one bag, but two...

The trio kept walking, with Naruto again in the lead. A loud hissing echoed in the air and Naruto was subjected to a harsh, powerful burst of wind. It threatened to send him flying off into the depths of the dense foliage, but his pores began profusely bleeding blood.

Only, it wasn't blood. It was dense, red chakra, enshrouding him, wrapping the blond in a tight blanket of corrosive liquid. Two tails rapidly formed from the base of his spine and pierced the forest floor, anchoring him to the ground.

The technique used to blow him away failed and instead, a second chance revealed itself. A giant snake of some unknown species appeared, hissing loudly and tasting the air with its forked tongue. It dived forward, its gaping jaws wide open...

Naruto leapt, ignoring the large holes his chakra tails left in the dirt. His clawed fingers splayed out, sending pinpricks of chakra towards his foe.

The snake swallowed the boy whole, much to the shock and dread of his teammates. A sibilant laughing followed shortly afterward, freezing both Sasuke and Sakura on the spot.

"My, my... I didn't know he could do that. At least the nuisance is gone." The voice, echoing throughout the leaves, chuckled again. "But, let's see how powerful you are, _Sasuke-kun_..."

A kunoichi wearing a headband that signified her alliance with Kusagakure appeared, rising from the bark of a nearby branch as if her flesh was melting off of it. Before she could attempt to attack, or at least jump down from her perch, her summoned snake began to shriek.

And then came the thrashing, followed by even louder shrieks, and then the red, glowing cracks that carved themselves into its scaly body. The snake exploded in a shower of gore, coating the area with a foul-smelling paste.

On the ground, with three red tails blazing, was Naruto. If anything, his grin seemed even wider at the agonizing death he had caused the reptile.

But that wasn't why he was grinning. He was smiling up at the kunoichi, who he knew, instinctively, was a bearer of agony and pain... much like himself.

A battle of wills ensued between the two, but Orochimaru knew his time was limited. He could stop this... this... _whelp_, but the spewing of such toxic chakra and such potent Killing Intent was sure to attract unsavory individuals.

Namely, his sensei, ANBU, and any other high-level shinobi within the area. He couldn't stick around; he still had to mark his future body and remove himself from the area.

The snake _moved_ in a frightening display of speed, his hands already glowing with the sealing method needed to repress the Kyuubi's chakra. He was one of the highest-level ninja Konoha had ever produced and he would prove it right at that moment.

Naruto shifted and jumped backward, his tails helping increase his speed to levels at or near those of Orochimaru's. It was an odd sight to behold... a glowing boy with see-through appendages jumping away from a man whose body elongated and twisted like some sort of demented muscle.

The tails blurred and whipped about, flailing viciously in seemingly random directions. Orochimaru was forced to stop and instead decided to bestow upon Sasuke the cursed seal rather than unnecessarily pursue such a threat.

And then, the forest around them collapsed. Massive, decades old trees began to fall even as Sasuke screamed in pain, their trunks torn out by the powerful chakra appendages.

When the ANBU came to investigate what had happened, all they saw was Naruto, holding onto his teammates with concern. The area around them was destroyed, leaving a wide, gaping hole barren of standing trees within the forest.

Nonetheless, they had obtained the scroll needed to pass and so, the ANBU opted to let them pass.

* * *

The assembled genin watched, wary of each other due to the stresses of the chunin exams. Yet, their teachers were there. Each team that had passed had a sensei that was prideful and happy... or at least, most teams did. Some were simply... different.

After the Hokage had finished making a speech about friendship and war, the genin were sent to a balcony, leaving one Uchiha Sasuke and Akado Yoroi behind. The two fought, with Sasuke ending up victorious.

The Hokage was... distracted as he watched each genin fight. Many higher-level ninja had felt the torrential flood of vile chakra. Naruto might have naturally called up on a bit of the Kyuubi's chakra to save himself, but...

But a bit wasn't meant to be sensed, _couldn't _be sensed by the majority of higher-level ninja. Only a true sensor could feel the usage of demonic chakra.

Naruto had used more than he should've been able. Jiraiya had insisted, upon checking the seal of the sleeping boy, that nothing was wrong. The seal had been tightened and all was thought to be well.

So then, why was that vile feeling reminiscent of that momentous, destructive event so many years ago?

Orochimaru was a problem, yes. That much the Hokage was sure of. Unfortunately, that particular problem paled in comparison to Naruto. For while Orochimaru was powerful, he was but one ninja.

For while Naruto was only a genin, he was a jinchuriki, holding back a demonic entity capable of causing the complete and utter destruction of Konoha and everything around it.

So, the Hokage watched, dutifully, as the proctor called for Naruto and Inuzuka Kiba to take the floor. The Kyuubi's chakra was sealed away by Jiraiya after Naruto was escorted to the tower in order to prevent any accidents. Nothing should go wrong with the match.

"Yo, dead-last, are you ready to lose?" Kiba cheerfully exclaimed, rocking on the balls of his feet. Akamaru yipped in agreement.

Sasuke and Sakura glanced at Kurenai, hoping beyond reason that she would intervene and force Kiba to forfeit. Kiba would never forfeit on his own.

Instead, Kiba's sensei seemed... uninterested in the battle. Her expression was one of apathy, like she had expected Naruto not to advance or progress during his months with Kakashi.

That much was true. Naruto hadn't advanced or progressed during his time with Kakashi. He had simply gotten worse, to the point where even his sensei was nervous around him.

Kurenai didn't glance at Kakashi's expression. The man was worried, but not for Naruto. Never for Naruto, not after Wave and certainly not after what was thought to have happened in the Forest of Death.

"Aw, come on, Kiba! Let's just fight so I can get to the next round and become a chunin!" She would be proud of him then. She would rub his head in pride and fill him with a sense of security.

The feral boy scoffed. "You should really just forfeit, dead-last!" he crowed, obviously expecting an easy fight.

Naruto's cheerful expression twisted and morphed into a partial sneer. It brought with it the anticipation of the battle, of bloodshed and death. It brought with it the promise of screaming, of pain, of complete, unadulterated agony.

Kiba didn't notice that, though. No one noticed it. The only one who noticed it was Gaara, who had a true smile on his face.

It made his siblings, as well as his sensei, edge away from him slightly. Oh, but he didn't mind... he had found a kindred spirit, after all. A spirit who understood him, who knew what he was like, and who shared his views.

They were like brothers.

"Then please, let's begin, _meat_," Naruto snarled. A desire to kill, to inflict pain, to utterly _destroy_ rolled over Kiba and the rest of the people in the room. Kiba shuddered, as did most of the genin.

Gaara gave a nod of approval and Orochimaru watched with interest. Such bloodlust, especially towards a comrade, was not supposed to be present in Konoha ninja. Then again, the jinchuriki had surprised him back in the forest.

Kiba jumped forward, lashing out with both of his claw-like hands. They made contact with Naruto and broke skin, but the boy hissed and backed away, clutching his hand and wincing. Naruto's blood dropped onto the floor, sizzling slightly as it did so.

The Inuzuka frowned, but quickly gave Akamaru some sort of pill that Naruto didn't care much about. A specialized Inuzuka technique was cast onto the ninja dog, turning him into a clone of Kiba.

The two roared out the name of their technique and jumped into the air. Both of them were spinning wildly like massive drills, using only their noses to figure out where their enemy was.

Naruto shouted as they neared him. The sound echoed throughout the room, making most of the people within cringe. The power of a jinchuriki was carried in that shout, which ended up turning it into a roar.

A translucent wall of chakra and sound slammed into Kiba and Akamaru, cracking bones and sending them flying back. They hit the steel floor, hard, and bounced slightly before remaining still. However, Kiba arose, angry at being sent back by a shout, and angry that an unconscious Akamaru had been hurt.

Naruto walked forward, slowly, like a harbinger of death. Never mind the shocked stares given his way. Never mind the fact that Kiba was injured and most likely going to lose. Never mind that Kiba could have avoided it all if he had simply forfeited on the spot.

"You... you hurt Akamaru! I'll kill you, you bastard!"

Naruto's grin turned positively menacing and he channeled his bloodlust, his intent to main, to destroy, into his eyes. "You don't understand. You're too naive," Naruto said, his soft voice belying his intentions.

Crushing pressure forced itself directly on Kiba. His worldview crumpled inward and the Inuzuka fell to his knees, vainly attempting to take a breath. There was a shout from his sensei, but it went unheeded.

Technically, Kiba was still able to fight. He was...

The Kyuubi jinchuriki reached Kiba and knelt down. Abruptly, the pressure vanished. The Inuzuka took quick, gulping breaths of air. He looked at Naruto, at his ice-blue eyes, at the thickening whisker-marks on his face.

Naruto's eyes turned purple and then blood-red. His pupils turned into slits and his fanged canines poked through his upper lip.

There was a breath and then Naruto began to whisper. "They all left me alone, left me to die... unforgivable, unforgivable, _unforgivable!_" The final word was shrieked, causing Kiba and the people in the room to flinch slightly. "_Retribution, retribution, retribution!_" Naruto screamed, his body beginning to glow scarlet.

The proctor felt, rather than saw, the familiar chakra arise and pushed his speed to the limit, hoping beyond belief that he could stop Konoha's resident jinchuriki.

Who wasn't quite as innocent as once believed.

Who wasn't quite as harmless as once believed.

Who wasn't as _normal_ as once believed.

The Kyuubi's power burst forward as five jounin of various levels attempted to stop it. Five jounin, each of which had worked to the extreme to attain their rank, each of which wanted to stop the bloodshed that was about to ensue.

Five jounin that failed to prevent Inuzuka Kiba from being smashed and crushed by ominous, dark chakra. His body was turned into paste, his bones turned to powder, his organs liquified... all that was left was a smear with vaguely recognizable components.

Agitated buzzing, followed by several shouts and screams sounded in the room. The Hokage appeared with a grim expression, his hand placed firmly on Naruto's stomach, where his seal was. The chakra was forced back into his body and the Kyuubi jinchuriki fell unconscious, blissfully unaware of the chaos he had just caused.

The blood remained on the floor, brightly lit and stained for everyone to see. That color would forever remain imprinted in the minds of all of the genin, as well as the jounin and chunin overseeing the exams.

Iruka was devastated that Naruto would do such a thing. Hinata's heart shattered and her stomach clenched violently before she found herself expelling the bile that had settled in her throat.

The Hokage needed to maintain order and he _would_ maintain order. Jiraiya would answer for what he had done and the two ninja would figure out how Naruto's seal kept loosening itself.

Hiruzen had heard what Naruto had screamed. Retribution, revenge, and no intention of forgiveness...

What hurt the most was that Naruto had waited until it was perfectly legal for him to kill his opponents. If Orochimaru had not appeared in the forest...

The Hokage shuddered.

* * *

**Kiba is dead. Destroyed, splattered, torn apart... he's dead.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I do intend to finish this... eventually. Dramatic angst and all.**

* * *

Sanguine

Jiraiya had not been amused when he had heard what his godson had done. The boy couldn't face repercussions either since it had happened in a sanctioned fight, but that didn't mean the act was forgiven and forgotten.

No, Kiba's mother and the Inuzuka Clan as a whole were had been – and still were – out for blood. The young Inuzuka's team – bar the Hyuuga girl – were also angry, seeking to put the blame on anyone who Naruto was acquainted with if they couldn't get the young ninja himself.

His sensei had made it clear that he was to protect people from Naruto. Further examination of the seal hadn't yielded any sort of conclusive results, meaning that tightening the seal would probably have no effect on the boy's overall disposition. As a result, the seal would somehow become loose again, much to the Hokage's extreme disapproval.

Training the boy had been Jiraiya's primary way of watching over him. He could keep an eye out for any revenge-oriented attacks while fulfilling his long-forgotten obligations. Obligations that he probably should've been doing when his godson was younger.

When he had first started training the young jinchuriki, nothing disturbing had presented itself. Despite the evidence that Naruto was deranged and quite willing to kill his comrades, there was no vicious, bloodthirsty behavior. In practice spars, he even acted normal with a wide, goofy grin plastered on his face.

It was an anomaly, one that Jiraiya wasn't sure how to deal with. What he was sure of was that part of it was his fault. Lamenting the past and bringing up old regrets wouldn't help him, especially when his godson had just defeated Hyuuga Neji in the first round of the finals.

What was surprising was that the genius Hyuuga was still alive. Naruto had used his shadow clones to outlast Neji, resulting in a win. Maybe Naruto had learned that excessive violence towards his comrades wasn't necessary?

Jiraiya would've congratulated Naruto, but he wasn't even supposed to be watching the battle. With a Body Flicker, Konoha's resident spy vanished from the stadium.

The next fight was to be Gaara against Sasuke. The Uchiha had arrived right when Naruto's match started. Kakashi had wanted to see if Naruto's month with Jiraiya had changed him in any way.

Somehow, Kakashi knew that Neji's survival was a fluke. Was Naruto aware of the suspicion and anger being directed towards him? Was this his method of staying away from public notice?

The two competitors took their positions opposite of each other on the battlefield. Gaara retained an air of impassivity, while Sasuke was tense.

"Mother is urging me to kill you," Gaara whispered, unfolding his arms from his chest. "She insists on taking no chances. It is... necessary."

Sasuke appeared taken aback. Nonetheless, he wouldn't die at his enemy's hands. He had too much to do. It was why he avoided invoking Naruto's wrath.

The two fought, but it couldn't be called as much. Sasuke had trained himself to avoid Gaara's sand, taking a page from Rock Lee's style of fighting. Despite that, the Uchiha could not for the life of him make contact with Gaara. The boy's absolute defense was too powerful.

Jumping back and sticking himself to the stadium wall, Sasuke's arm began to crackle and spark with electricity. The sounds of a thousand birds chirping filled the air. Many people immediately recognized one of Hatake Kakashi's signature techniques.

With speed belying his small size, Uchiha Sasuke charged down the stadium wall, easily switching from vertical to horizontal movement, and speeding towards Gaara. Sand swirled around Suna's jinchuriki, and instead of protecting him, it speared forward.

The screams that would have been heard from arrows of sand piercing through Sasuke's body were easily silenced. Feathers floated down from the sky, lulling both citizens and ninja asleep. The powerful genjutsu did not affect everyone, however.

Several high-level Konoha ninja were able to stop the illusion from affecting them and began to engage whatever Suna- and Oto-nin were nearby. Down below, standing over the dead body of the last loyal Uchiha, was Shiranui Genma.

"Gaara! Unleash the Shukaku, now!" Baki ordered, jumping down next to the insane jinchuriki. The Suna jounin sent a glare at Genma and prepared to enter battle.

"Like I'll let you do- urk!" Genma's eyes widened and he looked down. A small, bloody hand was protruding from his chest. With a disturbing _squelch_, it quickly pulled out, causing Genma's body to crumple forward. No one above noticed.

Childlike laughing rang in the air and one Uzumaki Naruto put his hands on his hips, leaning down to observe the rapidly cooling corpse of a former Konoha ninja. "I was hoping to get some ribs too, but apparently not!" More laughing. "Hi there! In case you didn't know, I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

Baki stumbled back as Temari and Kankuro took their positions nearby. "What is the meaning of this?" the Suna jounin demanded.

Naruto grinned viciously. "Bloodshed is bloodshed, no matter who spills it." That statement did little to ease Baki and he took up a fighting stance in front of Gaara. Naruto seemed more amused than anything.

Spikes of sand burst out from the solidified sphere of earth that was surrounding Gaara. Temari gasped and a sound like breaking wood was heard from Kankuro.

"Gaara! You... you monster! How could you attack your own sister!?" Kankuro screamed, grabbing Temari's bleeding body and jumping away.

Right in her midsection was a gaping hole. Temari's was taking shallow breaths as her life-giving blood seeped from her body.

"Like I said," Naruto chimed, giggling slightly, "Bloodshed is bloodshed, no mater who spills it, and no matter who's it from."

Enraged, Kankuro sent the remains of his puppet, which had been damaged by Gaara's spike of sand, towards Naruto. Baki didn't act either way; he knew that ninja were to give their life for their village, even if it was from a comrade turned deranged lunatic.

Naruto_ roared_ louder than ever before. Chakra-laced sounded reverberated throughout the stadium and sent Kankuro, Temari, and Baki flying backward. Gaara's sphere of sand – his absolute defense – protected him.

The unearthly sound caught the attention of some of Konoha's jounin. Unable to take action themselves, they instructed their genin – those that were awake – to attempt to take control of the situation.

Naruto tried to take a step forward, but found himself rooted to the ground. His body felt stiff and his joints locked in their positions. "Naruto! What are you doing?" Shikamaru called.

Growling rumbling from his throat, Naruto forced his body forward. On sheer strength alone, he began to move towards Gaara. He needed to get there. It was needed. It was necessary. "I can't play right now, Shika!" he yelled.

"Let us handle it! You don't have to attack anyone, Naruto!" Chouji cried, still optimistic that Naruto had lost control in fighting Kiba rather than intentionally slaughtering him.

Hordes of insects descended down on Naruto. Only a few genin were present; the rest were either dead or put out of commission by the earlier illusion. Nearby, Shino waited for his bugs to drain the rest of Naruto's chakra. Oh, how he wished to enact revenge...

And then, the ground began to rumble. The soil cracked, spraying dirt and debris everywhere. From underground, sand rose up, growing larger, larger, and larger. Screams could be heard as the sand reached towering heights.

Shino's bugs lifted off from Naruto, their flying slightly erratic as they headed back to their host. Naruto, his body glowing red, toothily grinned at his adversary. The sand shifted, separating Naruto from his fellow genin.

Shikamaru's eyes widened when he heard Shino scream. It was a completely alien sound, yet eerily familiar to all who specialized in torture. It was the sound of someone being destroyed from the inside out.

The Aburame's bugs, charged on the Kyuubi's noxious, poisonous chakra, returned to their host and shared their chakra with him. Unfortunately, Shino was not used to the poisonous chakra, nor was he a jinchuriki.

His chakra coils exploded, both from the stress of holding alien chakra within, and from corrosive chakra poisoning. His body tipped over, falling back down to the ground below. Shikamaru and Chouji jumped off of the mass of sand in an attempt to grab their old classmate.

Naruto watched them go as the a shape began to form below his feet. Grotesque, sandy legs formed, followed by patterned arms and finally, a demonic head. Shukaku's form was completed, with Gaara sticking out of its forehead.

Shukaku's eyes blazed with life and it screamed. The sudden presence of powerful chakra disrupted the illusion's hold, resulting in the rest of those within the stadium waking up to see a fully realized Tailed Beast.

"I cannot maintain control due to the nature of my seal," Gaara stated, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "In order for mother to properly attack, I must fall asleep."

"Oh, don't want to spread the cheer around?" Naruto lightly asked. "Go ahead, I'll help out Auntie." Gaara used a sleeping technique and his eyes immediately closed. Now in total control, Shukaku screamed again.

Raw chakra filled the air and caused the barrier blocking off the Hokage and Orochimaru to shatter. Tree roots began to ensnare Shukaku's feet, slowly snaking their way up the beast's lower body.

"**I'M FREE!"** Shukaku cried, shaking the stadium with its booming screeches.

Naruto looked down and whistled. "Better start moving, Auntie."

Shukaku chuckled, the pitch rising and falling oddly. "**HELP ME, YOUNG ONE,"** it _asked._

The ancient sand beast moved its thick legs rapidly, crushing the large roots below before opening its maw. Boiling red chakra coalesced around Naruto's hands and the jinchuriki thrust his arms out.

Black and white chakra, combined from two different Tailed Beasts, began to form and combine together within Shukaku's jaws. Having realized that the beast was actually going to attack, ninja from both Suna and Konoha began to launch technique after technique at it.

It was all for naught. One of the mightiest attacks known to the villages was completed, and the Tailed Beast Ball was launched directly at the nearby stands.

The large, black ball of destruction smashed everything in its way, continuing through the stands and into the village. It cared not for whoever was in its way, for all who made contact with it were obliterated, their bodies turned to ash.

With a resounding _boom_, the ball exploded in a brilliant display of white light. All that remained of the Hokage Tower and its surroundings was a large crater. Anything within the blast radius was utterly destroyed.

Naruto cackled, his voice echoing throughout the now-silent stadium. "Oh, that was _awesome_! Again, again! Let's do it again!" he pleaded, jumping on his feet like an excited child.

With the ninja attacking him dead, Orochimaru could kill the distracted Hokage. His... subordinates were also killed, but that was fine. As long as the snake fulfilled his goal of razing the village to the ground...

"No more," the Hokage softly muttered. He took a deep, shuddering sigh before swinging his staff out. It extended with frightening speed, forcing Orochimaru to move away. "No more! I should have locked you up when I had the chance! I shouldn't have given you the benefit of the doubt!"

Whether he was talking about Naruto, Orochimaru, or even Gaara was unknown. The Hokage had to act. With Jiraiya fending off enemies outside of the stadium, he had to fend off enemies within.

Naruto was an enemy. How long he had truly been one, Hiruzen didn't know. He hoped Minato and Kushina would forgive him, but he had to place the lives of the many before the life of one – jinchuriki or not, son of an honored hero or not.

Orochimaru chuckled sinisterly from his position on top of the roof he and the Hokage had been fighting on. "You shouldn't be distracted, sensei..." The Kusanagi extended forward, aiming to skewer the old man, but was stopped by a massive, sandy paw that crashed down on the sannin.

With a grunt, Orochimaru sliced through the wrist connecting the paw to Shukaku's arm. The demon shrieked in pain and anger, allowing the Hokage to jump and attack it.

The severed hand suddenly reanimated itself, crawling along on what used to be its fingers. Orochimaru glared at it before attempting to slice through it once more. Unnervingly enough, the hand proved agile, and evaded Orochimaru's frantic flashes.

With more ninja on the way, Orochimaru couldn't remain there for long. As powerful as he was, the advantage of numbers was not something he wanted to try his luck against. The man had no intention of testing his ability to die.

Again, Shukaku's maw opened, swirling black and white chakra building within. Instead of firing it at the Hokage, the demon quickly closed its mouth and fired off a wide-area blast of chakra. The chakra blast eviscerated much of the stadium wall, nearly clipping the Hokage himself.

The Hokage reappeared on top of Shukaku's head. He noticed Suna's jinchuriki nearby, fast asleep with sand surrounding his body. Waking up the boy would be a priority, but what had happened to Naruto?

"Old man Hokage?" The Hokage whirled around, seeing Naruto look at him with wide, innocent eyes. The only difference was that, rather than clear blue, they were slitted crimson. "You here to watch the fireworks or something?"

Hiruzen grit his teeth. "Naruto, stop this foolishness at once!" he commanded.

Naruto simply tilted his head in confusion. "What foolishness, jiji? I'm just spreading the cheer around..." He said this in a guilty tone of voice, even going so far as to scuff his feet on Shukaku's sandy scalp.

"Then, as I'm sure you know," Hiruzen stated a sad tone of voice, "a Hokage's job is to protect his village from all threats."

The head shook, but both genin and Hokage maintained their footing. A fierce blast of buffeting wind hurtled towards Orochimaru, who was preoccupied with evading reinforcements and the demented hand of Shukaku. Upon contact, the windy bullet shattered the roof, sending ninja and debris alike flying.

The detached hand simply reformed before doggedly pursuing Orochimaru again. Its fingers lengthened and thinned to razor-sharp points, swiping and stabbing at its foe.

Naruto appeared aghast. "All threats, you say? What about the ninja itself? What about the village's tools and its weapons?" His expression twisted and he snarled. "Why would I ever show loyalty to a village that's has treated me the way it has?"

The Third chose not to answer and instead rushed forward, showing off his prowess as Hokage. Naruto's couldn't even react before Hiruzen's staff crashed down on him. It would've killed him, had not sand left Shukaku's skull to buffer the blow. In addition, the Kyuubi's chakra pulsed out from Naruto's body, helping to deaden the staff as well.

"What-" Sand ripped the staff from his hands and forced it to dispel.

Once more, the head moved. The large beast began to trample and destroy everything within range as it left the badly damaged stadium. The sand that constituted its once-severed hand had reattached, with Orochimaru's remains – forbidden techniques and all – cut up and crushed beyond recognition.

"Being all alone was so much fun, jiji! Everyone stares at you and yells at you and screams at you and blames you and... and..." He shuddered violently, bringing his hands up to his sunny hair and pulling violently at the golden locks. "It... it hurts! It hurts so much! There was no way out! No way out!"

Enraptured by Naruto's behavior, the Hokage could only stare. Sand bound his hands and feet, with each of his fingers and arms broken to prevent retaliation.

The frantic motions stopped and Naruto visibly calmed himself. "She suggested something else and they went along with it. No one can stare and yell and scream and blame you for everything bad when they're dead... when their voices are all silenced..." He laughed giddily.

Hiruzen took a sharp breath. "Has this village truly wronged you that you want to destroy it in an act of vengeance? What about your parents? Do you not want to know what they would think of you now?"

Naruto smiled. It was not reassuring. "I don't care. Their fame and fortune don't matter to me. If they were thinking, they wouldn't have damned me to this. Normal people wouldn't damn their children to a fate like this, _you know_? Oh, you wouldn't know, would you? You're not like my brother and I."

There was smoke rising in the sky. A large part of Konohagakure lay in ruins, with ninja and civilians either evacuating in the wake of Shukaku's destruction or resigning themselves to their deaths. Without a way to stop the rampaging beast, it would raze the village to the ground.

"Give Konoha a chance, Naruto!" Hiruzen pleaded. A loud snap was heard and the Hokage grunted in pain, his legs bent in odd angles. The sand tightened its hold on him.

"I did," Naruto quietly said. He gazed at the large monument in front of him, with its stone faces overlooking the destruction of their once-proud village. "But did Konoha give me a chance?"

Hiruzen watched as a Tailed Beast Ball sailed towards the monument, detonating in a flash of tinged light. The mountain was swallowed up the blast and when the flare vanished, all that remained was a gaping hole. The faces were gone.

He turned to the Hokage and held out his hands. A twisted parody of the Rasengan appeared in his hand, turning a dark scarlet from the amount of demonic chakra running through his system. Slowly, Naruto walked up to the Hokage.

"Fine," the Hokage spat, eyes downcast in bitterness. "Destroy Konoha. All you will do is earn your hatred. News of this will spread everywhere and you will be universally shunned. This is the path you have chosen."

Hiruzen gasped in pain as the Rasengan began to chew through his skin, tearing through muscle and bone as if they were wet tissue paper. One arm fell off, the Hokage unable to staunch the bleeding due to his sandy restraints.

"Oh, but what a fun path it is!" Naruto crowed in agreement with another one of his wicked smiles. He pressed the Rasengan to Hiruzen's chest, liquidating the old man's organs and tearing his rib cage apart. The sand tossed the dead body overboard, not caring where it landed.

Looking out into the village, Naruto noted with satisfaction that it was nearly wiped clean. No ninja jumping about, no civilians running, no summons attacking, and more fires spreading. It was a shame the screaming ended, though.

"**IT IS DONE, CHILD. MY SON WILL WANT TO GO TO HIS HOME, NEXT. IT SHALL BE CARRIED OUT. OUR WILL SHALL BE COMPLETED."**

Shukaku began to break down as Gaara woke up. Suna's jinchuriki surveyed the destruction and a smile formed on his face. The people there wouldn't validate his existence, but who needed that? His brother had acknowledged his existence and that was all he really needed.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto exclaimed, shaking Gaara slightly. "Let's get some ramen! I know there's a ramen stand on the way to Suna!"

"Ramen...?" Gaara muttered. He looked back to the destruction. "Ramen... yes... ramen. I would like that."

The two brothers set out, chatting merrily as the scent of burning flesh tickled their nostrils.

* * *

**Tell me what you think. I wasn't going to completely go to the whole "mother" route, but oh well. Konoha is gone and the majority of their notable ninja dead. Hint hint, I wonder who survived that attack?  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here's another chapter. If there's anything wrong with it (such as errors), let me know. I kind of cranked this one out real quick based on a sudden inspiration.  
**

* * *

Sanguine

Two men, one of which towered over the other, gazed at the charred ruins that marked the final resting place of Konohagakure no Sato. Their black cloaks fluttered in the wind as the lingering stench of acrid smoke was blown their way.

Buildings that once housed entire families lay collapsed, with large portions of metal and stone tore out from them. Windows were shattered and what might've looked once like a ramen stand was a pile of rubble. Several craters marked areas in which massive explosions seemed to have occurred and one of these craters had replaced the spot where the Hokage Monument had been situated.

The village's destruction was nearly unbelievable. A large ninja village such as Konoha did not get burned to the ground in one day; their ninja would prevent such a thing from happening. Friendly as they were, Konoha ninja were powerful.

Itachi would know, after all.

The last Uchiha thought it ironic. He had betrayed the village on orders from the Hokage and his advisers with the intention of having his little brother redeem their clan's name, only to have the village end up completely demolished.

Briefly, he wondered if his brother was still alive. Hopefully that was the case.

Who or _what_ had destroyed it? Rumors had been floating around, but Akatsuki's Leader hadn't believed them, even when Sasori had mentioned that his spies in Konoha had been killed.

Itachi leaned down and picked up an ash-covered doll. It was heavily damaged, missing part of its leg and having some of its stuffing falling out.

"So, our target's not here," Kisame said, finally speaking up. The blue-skinned man was frowning, his beady eyes shimmering with disappointment at not having any prey to rough up. He had been looking for a challenge for some time.

"Either that, or he is dead," Itachi replied monotonously.

"Should we notify Leader?" Kisame's partner didn't reply, but instead raised the arm that held the ring representing his true affiliation with Akatsuki. Moments later, he had contacted their shadowy Leader, who initiated the technique that would allow them to meet.

Kisame and Itachi appeared as translucent ghosts to their Leader, who was watching them patiently with his odd, ringed eyes. One of Akatsuki's special techniques allowed them to keep in contact even when not in direct physical proximity.

"What is it?"

Even when not directly in the presence of their Leader, Kisame and Itachi were guarded and their bodies tensed. They did not know the identity of their Leader, only that he was powerful enough to bring a nation to its knees, and that was cause for extreme caution.

Seeing as Itachi was not going to speak, Kisame cleared his throat. "We just dropped by Konoha, and it's kind of a... a wasteland. There's nothing here and there's no sign of Kyuubi jinchuriki," he explained.

"What do you mean? Explain yourselves," their Leader ordered.

Kisame and Itachi exchanged glances. "It's... destroyed. We don't know who did it. It might've been Orochimaru, but he's practically dropped off the map at this point," Kisame said.

Akatsuki's Leader remained motionless. He was standing in a tower that oversaw his nation, although the translucent ghosts that represented Itachi and Kisame could not see anything except for their Leader.

"That... is a shame. Search the cities throughout the Land of Fire for any survivors. Find that jinchuriki."

With that order, he vanished. Having nothing else to do in the area, Itachi and Kisame turned and left, heading towards one of the more popular establishments the Land of Fire had.

* * *

Tanzaku Quarters was a tourist town. The town itself was always alive, bubbling with chatter and excitement, as well as having many attractions for both men and women. It was particularly notable for its gambling opportunities, fine women, and its grand Tanzaku Castle.

None of these reasons were why survivors from Konoha were in the place. Tsunade, formerly of Konoha, was supposed to be hunkered down nearby, and Jiraiya wanted her help. Konoha was no more and some of the men and women under his command were so injured that civilian health care wouldn't be enough.

Jiraiya really wished that more stock was placed into the medical program when Konoha was still standing. All of the nurses and medical ninja were either dead or missing.

It was only his long years of experience that prevented him from breaking down from all of the frustration and stress. He still had to help these surviving villagers.

"All right, spread out and look for a blonde woman with pigtails, a large chest, and a necklace that has a shining green gem on it," Jiraiya ordered. "Anyone who feels that they are too weak or injured to search may rest here. Don't hurt yourselves."

The group of twenty-something people behind him nodded. A few stayed behind, but the majority detached themselves from their little group and began to search. Some of the people in the group were ninja, so finding Tsunade wouldn't be too difficult.

How hard could it be to find a gambling addict in a gambling wonderland?

After leaving the group, four former Konoha genin began to look around. Hyuuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura, Akimichi Chouji, and Nara Shikamaru silently checked out the casinos and stores littered throughout the city. Each bore mental scars from Konoha's obliteration.

Hyuuga Hinata had lost her entire clan and family. Both of her teammates were dead, as was her sensei. Her eyes were red from all of the crying and she felt dehydrated. Like when she had been in a flourishing Konoha, Naruto was on her mind.

Haruno Sakura had lost her family and her team. She was... unfamiliar with loss and hadn't taken it well. Crying alongside Hinata had made her feel better, but now she felt the need to do something. Helping the survivors would staunch the amount of guilt she felt in regards to Naruto's actions.

Nara Shikamaru did not cry, not even for his fallen clan members or for Ino. His mind was racing and, like Hinata, was focused on Naruto. Unlike Hinata's confusing feelings regarding the blonde, his feelings were more centered around vengeance. Vengeance for his family, for Ino, and for Konoha.

Akimichi Chouji was shell-shocked. He could not come to terms with Konoha's destruction, nor with the loss of nearly everyone close to him. Shikamaru's presence had helped some, but Chouji's monstrous appetite had been curbed, and his friendly demeanor silenced.

These four former Konoha ninja were all that remained of their graduating class. No other genin remained; there were only a few chunin and two jounin, none of which were really familiar with each other. The rest of the people were civilians that had been lucky enough to be escorted to safety.

They desperately wanted to speak freely with each other, to take some kind of comfort in the fact that they were well and alive, but the shock of losing their home still loomed over their heads. Fortunately, Hinata had found something very interesting.

"G-Guys! Over here!" she called as loudly as she could.

A woman with a considerable bust, a green jacket, and distinguishable blonde pigtails was sitting at a slot machine. If she noticed the three ninja staring at her, she didn't say anything. Sakura went to get Jiraiya, while Hinata, Chouji, and Shikamaru approached the high-level kunoichi.

She didn't even pay them a glance, focused on the slot machine as she was.

"Excuse me, are you Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade remained fixated on her gambling. A grouchy expression was starting to appear on her face, though.

"Tsunade-sama, we have survivors from Konoha, and we need your help," Shikamaru bit out, slightly angry that the fabled Senju heir was not responding.

With a loud ding, the slot machine began to pour out coins, indicating that the woman had gotten lucky. Tsunade furrowed her brow and she turned to face the three genin staring at her. All of them thought that she was just surprised at winning. They didn't know the superstition that surrounded her luck.

"What did you three brats want?" she dully asked.

"Konoha is gone," Shikamaru began. "It was destroyed by two jinchuriki that have turned traitor to their villages. A small band of survivors have evacuated the ruins, but some are still hurt. We need your help."

Tsunade did not miss the blunt, forceful way Shikamaru spoke, nor the depression evident in the eyes of the young ninja. Jinchuriki, though? Weren't they supposed to be loyal to the village...?

Wait... if they were traitors, then...

Tsunade's eyes widened in alarm, just as another young ninja walked with a large, imposing man behind her. Heels clacking loudly on the casino floor, she strode up to Jiraiya, grabbed his clothing, and lifted him up into the air.

"What did the two jinchuriki who destroyed Konoha look like?"

"Tsunade-"

"What did they look like?!" Tsunade roared, drawing much unwanted attention and causing Jiraiya to become nervous.

"Blond hair and an orange jumpsuit on one, with another having red hair and a gourd of sand on his back," Jiraiya hesitantly replied, not knowing why Tsunade was acting the way she was.

For the genin watching, they were wide-eyed. They could tell something was wrong based on the urgency of Tsunade's voice, but they were also in awe of actually getting a response from the woman. She hadn't been quite so responsive when they were speaking with her – not until she had gotten lucky in slots.

Tsunade dropped Jiraiya, backed away, and took a ragged breath. "We need to find my assistant," she worriedly said.

"Why?" Jiraiya asked.

"Those two, and some other man, are with Shizune."

* * *

Shizune did not quite know how to deal with the three males that were gambling next to her. Ironically enough, she was the one gambling for once. Her mentor had decided to make – _force_ – her take a break, so Shizune went gambling.

She was surprised to see a young, innocent-looking golden-haired boy join her at the table. He didn't pay her much interest, instead giggling to himself quietly at the cards. He was from Konoha, if his forehead protector was anything to note.

Another boy, this time a redhead, had joined her. He was likely from Suna due to the clothing he was wearing. He was followed by an imposing man clad in some crazy kind of armor.

The back of his armor even had a steam engine that perpetually belched out wisps of water vapor!

Tsunade's apprentice had no idea what these odd people were doing, but they were probably ninja given the way they were acting. Cautiously looking around, shifting their bodies, eyes darting around... they were definitely ninja. No fake forehead protectors here...

Or, perhaps, advanced poker players. She didn't know how to play the game very well, but the three males were amusing to watch and the exasperation in the teller's eyes was very funny.

However, she kept feeling as if she were being watched, like someone wanted to wait until she was defenseless and slit her throat under the cover of night. Shizune could adequately defend herself, but every now and then a burst of murderous intent would cause her to tense.

The problem was, she didn't know who was doing it. The two young males looked much too innocent – they were technically allies even if they didn't recognize her – and the large man too focused on his cards.

A quick, subtle look around revealed no other ninja in the casino. Hopefully there were no ninja that were skilled enough to avoid her wariness.

"Ah, ah! What about this?" the young blond said. He revealed his cards and was instructed to take the majority of the pot. Some of the people who were watching were a bit awed at the boy's luck.

Shizune didn't care, though. She was just having fun and that was enough to keep her satisfied.

"Shizune! Get away from them!"

The woman stiffened at her mentor's frantic voice. "Tsunade-sama?" she questioned. Jiraiya was behind the blonde woman, but his expression was filled with rage and anger. Oddly enough, one of the children following behind them had the same expression as Jiraiya.

Everyone froze. The air became heavy and Shizune's lungs constricted. She couldn't breath or move due to the instinctual fear that was gripping her.

Tsunade and Jiraiya stopped where they were, freezing at the sudden change in atmosphere. The majority of the civilians were confused and unaffected by Killing Intent, but knew that something was about to happen.

The large, imposing man stood up, his armor rattling as he did so. Cold eyes swept over the assembled ninja and the stitching of his mask twitched.

He was grinning, but no one could really see that. They could only assume.

"They are still looking, like always. They do not stop, nor do they learn. They quiver at the sight of us, yet they urge us to fight in their stead." The man's deep, baritone voice caused the people in the casino to shift slightly. He was making them uncomfortable.

Naruto's shoulders slumped. "Damn it, that's not fun at all! Why do people have to be so predictable?" he whined, gazing up at the man standing next to him.

Much to Jiraiya's – and the other genin's – surprise, the man ruffled Naruto's hair. "Don't worry. They will soon see the error of their ways and then they will change. They should not have bothered us," he said.

The redhead picked up his gourd, which had been lying next to him. "Should we begin?" he stoically asked.

Tsunade's jaw dropped in alarm. Shizune looked terrified, but she could not move. Why wasn't she moving? The Senju Princess had trained her apprentice to be better than that! What was going on!?

Slowly, the armored man walked over to where Shizune was sitting, his footsteps making dull thuds every time they made contact with the floor. In a rather disturbing manner, he reached out with a gloved hand and stroked Shizune's cheek.

The gesture seemed harmless, but Tsunade realized that burns were being left where the man's fingers touched Shizune's delicate skin. "They cannot move for fear of death. This is inherent for us and they cannot object to it," the man announced.

"Let her go!" Tsunade shouted. She made to move forward, but Jiraiya stopped her.

"It seems as if they are smart," the man mused. "They see her for what she is and what she will become. Their attempts will not be enough."

A swift, deft movement of his arm lead to his large hand clamping around the woman's throat. Shizune desperately wanted to scream in fear and in pain, to let the world know she was being slowly burned... but she could not. Her body was locked up, unable to move.

The man's eyes crinkled into a smile and the smell of cooking flesh filled the room. One of the civilians gasped at the sight of a slowly burning Shizune, and the room erupted in pandemonium. People ran and trampled each other in their haste to get away from the homicidal ninja.

Hinata let the contents of her stomach out onto the floor and Sakura did the same. Chouji was as pale as a ghost, and Shikamaru was clenching his fest tightly enough to make the nails dig into his palm.

"No!" Tsunade screamed, pushing Jiraiya away and running forward as the man released Shizune's neck.

The burns did not look pleasant.

The armored giant did not stop her. He moved away from the dead body and led the two jinchuriki near him out of the room. Ordinarily, turning your back on an enemy was not intelligent, but the sand coiled around Gaara's feet was a standing threat.

Before they left the casino, Jiraiya heard, "That was awesome, Uncle Han!" Taking a glance at a sobbing Tsunade, Jiraiya rushed outside to engage the murderer, only to find nothing. People were milling about on the street, shooting each other worried expressions, but no demonic containers were nearby.

Extending his sensory abilities and augmenting them with the power of nature chakra, Jiraiya felt the three males traveling away and out of the gambler's town.

A nearby wall crumpled inward as Jiraiya slammed his fist onto it. He was disappointed. Disappointed in himself, in his past, and in Konoha.

So much could've been prevented...

Where had the jinchuriki gone?

* * *

**In case it isn't immediately obvious, quite a few of the jinchuriki will be psychotic, homicidal maniacs.**

**Tell me what you think.**


	6. Chapter 6

Sanguine

A glass bottle smashed into a wall, shattering into many sharp little shards of glass. The one who had thrown it had immediately asked for another, ignoring how intoxicated she was. All she wanted to do was drink until her brain couldn't remember anything that had happened within the past twenty-four hours.

The bartender hesitated before slowly handing the woman another bottle of alcohol. She was clearly inebriated to the point of danger, but he didn't want his place of business to become destroyed. The Legendary Sucker was renowned for her short temper, after all.

Nearby, Jiraiya kept a close eye on his former teammate's drinking habits. He didn't blame what she was doing. He had done the same when his own student had died, years ago.

The only reason why he hadn't done so when Konoha was destroyed was because someone needed to act as a leader for the remnants of the Hidden Leaf. The majority of the survivors were still – unsurprisingly – shell-shocked and would likely remain so for a while.

"When are we going to leave? The others aren't going to be able to survive very long if she's still crying," Shikamaru grouched, scowling at the drunk Tsunade.

"Tsunade-hime never was able to deal with loss very well," Jiraiya murmured. "We'll give her a little more time. The last time she lost someone close to her led to her abandoning Konoha and roaming free."

"Without any repercussions?" Shikamaru asked disbelievingly.

"Sensei-" Jiraiya swallowed, "the Hokage always had a soft spot for her. She's lost the last person she cared about. Give her some time to grieve. Things like this don't pass easy." The hermit gave Shikamaru a significant stare, causing the genius to look away.

There was silence for a few minutes until Shikamaru broke it and said, "Hinata and Sakura are trying to help the survivors as much as they can. From what they told me earlier, it's not going so well. Those... Naruto and those other guys aren't in the city anymore."

Jiraiya stood up with a pronounced sigh. "You might want to move away. Tsunade tends to become more aggressive than usual when she's drunk, especially when she's reminded of her past. I wouldn't want to see you become a bloody smear." Shikamaru briefly looked worried, prompting the hermit to laugh. "Don't worry about me. I'm made of tougher stuff."

Nonetheless, Shikamaru remained where he was, leaning against a patterned wall. The hermit pranced over to his former teammate and began to speak to her in hushed tones. The Nara tried to catch what Jiraiya was saying, but his whispering was much too low to properly hear.

He brought his hands together to form his clan's signature jutsu just as Tsunade leapt to her feet and picked up the stool she had been sitting on. Jiraiya didn't flinch or move back, instead opting to continue whispering to the blonde, albeit in a harsher manner.

Several patrons stood up as well and backed away, fearing for their own safety. The jinchuriki's attack the previous day hadn't harmed any actual civilians, but it was still fresh in everyone's minds.

Tsunade kept the stool above her head, her expression a rictus of rage and grief. Jiraiya's whispering died down and only when he placed his hand on her shoulder did Tsunade put the stool down. Then, she walked out of the bar, with Jiraiya right behind her.

Naturally, Shikamaru followed.

When they reached the makeshift camp outside of the gambling city, Hinata and Sakura quietly thanked the Senju woman. She didn't acknowledge their gratitude and pushed them away, instead heading towards the sick and injured. Tsunade did, however, ask Sakura and Hinata a question or two every now and then, which they were happy to answer.

As she worked, Chouji went up to the two males who had retrieved her. "What are we going to do now?" he timidly asked. The appetite he was known for hadn't returned to him yet.

"After Tsunade-sama helps the survivors, we're going to go after-"

"Hang on there, brat," Jiraiya interrupted, giving the genius a disapproving look. "We came here to get Tsunade's help, and then we're going to head to the capital city. I have a few friends who can help us out. We can't exactly carry a bunch of healing civilians with us," the man chastised.

"Can't Tsunade-sama take them? She's renowned for once serving on a team with you and I'm sure whoever you know in the capital city won't mind if you use her as an intermediary," Shikamaru argued.

Jiraiya sighed. "Look, I know how you feel about Naruto and the others. They-"

"-Only destroyed our home, our friends, and my entire family," Shikamaru snapped. "Why should we allow them to do the same to other ninja villages?"

The hermit peered intently at Shikamaru's angered expression. Chouji's eyes flitted between his friend and the senior officer in the vicinity. "So, you noticed it even without knowledge of Naruto's past? I supposed I shouldn't be surprised, but I still can't let you go after them," Jiraiya stated.

Shikamaru growled. "Why not? You think it's okay to just let them run around like that?"

The hermit didn't immediately reply. He redirected his gaze to the moon above which was illuminating parts of the night sky and bathing the earth in a pale glow.

Shikamaru crossed his arms and waited. He had patience in spades, even if it had been sorely tested as of late.

"Chouji, how would you feel if Shikamaru died?"

Chouji, surprised at the blunt question, wasn't able to formulate a proper response. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but no sound came out.

"There's your answer," Jiraiya muttered. "You think I'm going to let you die when we need unity the most? Konoha may not exist anymore, but all of you have some familiarity with each other. Finding comfort will be that much easier.

"Besides, Naruto... he isn't our problem anymore. If he's heading where I think he's heading, then he's going to become someone else's problem. To be honest, I hope they don't find whoever they're looking for."

The Nara scoffed. "Nice morals you got there, Jiraiya-sama," he sarcastically remarked.

"I'm not responsible for the safety of those I don't know," the hermit solemnly said. "There is strength in numbers. I can only hope it's enough. For now, let's just focus on getting ourselves someplace to live."

"Um, Jiraiya-sama? What if... what if Naruto, and Gaara, and that tall guy come back?"

"Don't worry, Chouji," Jiraiya reassured, "my duties have been put on hold indefinitely. I'm sure I can protect you if it comes to that. Worst case scenario, we head to one of the greater ninja villages. They... they'll take advantage of us, but we'll have somewhere to stay and greater security to boot, too."

Shikamaru snorted. "Who's going to take us in? Sunagakure _invaded us_. Iwa doesn't like us, Kirigakure has a poor history with bloodline users, and Kumo has had problems with us in the past." The Nara glanced at where Hinata was using her Byakugan to help Tsunade pinpoint a bone fracture. "Any of the lesser villages wouldn't be very secure, either. What do we do, _Jiraiya-sama_?"

The hermit could do without the Nara's cynicism. Focusing on vengeance was not healthy nor necessary in this situation.

"For now, we'll wait until the others are well-enough to travel soundly. Then, well head to the capital city. Tsunade and I will figure things out from there."

* * *

A teenage girl sang into the night sky, allowing her voice to warble as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the crisp air. Fireflies hovered about, sometimes moving close to the girl, and sometimes moving away.

Nature wanted harmony. Everything worked in tandem to make sure nothing fell apart. If every living thing obeyed its boundaries, then harmony would be achieved and a balance would be struck.

The majority of animals and plants followed harmony. Straying too far from it resulted in debilitation, which would then lead back to it. Everything spiraled around everything else, working to keep and maintain a balance. When something spiraled too far, nature would correct it.

When harmony was unable to be reached, nature became angry. The skies would darken, fires would blaze, and the oceans would swell. But, nature's anger brought forth new life. Its anger corrected the flaws and made sure everything was set on the path to harmony.

That was what usually happened. When even nature could not maintain its blessed harmony, the planet's energy itself was roused.

Winking stars flashed in the sky, listening in as the girl's voice reached a crescendo. They did not weep when her voice cracked and fell silent.

However, even as the stars shunned the girl, the insects did not. They floated closer, undulating erratically in the air. Each one could whisper a small message of respect and awe, helping to buoy the girl. Her confidence was restored and she took a breath before resuming her singing.

Whenever she sang, it was easy to lose herself. It was easy to forget her harsh treatment and her isolation, provided she didn't dwell on it too much. If she did, her temperament soured and her voice would change.

Normally, she wouldn't have an audience. Who would want to see _her_ sing? She was lower than them, not even regarded as human.

She was... disposable.

As she finished her song, the blonde boy in front of her jumped up excitedly, grinning like a maniac. "That was freakin' amazing!" he exclaimed. He winced as a tall man put his hand on his shoulder.

"It would not do for them to hear us," the giant chastised. "However, I do agree that it was well-done. They do not realize what talent and skill you possess."

The final member of her audience merely nodded in agreement. He struck a contrast with the blonde; where the hyperactive blonde was loud and boisterous, he was quiet and calm. Their differences interested her, although that definitely wasn't primarily why she liked them so much.

"...Thank you," she quietly murmured. She had made a mistake at one point since she had never performed in front of an audience before and she was grateful that the three males hadn't made fun of her for it.

Then again, why would they? They saw her as a member of their family, or so the blonde one repeatedly insisted.

"They should not have cast you off," the tall, armored giant growled. "They should pay for this. No, they _will_ pay for this. Would you not find it meaningful to see them destroyed? To see them brought to pay for their grievances?"

The girl hesitated. Sibilant buzzing sounded in her head, attempting to coax her into accepting the giant's proposition.

The blonde pumped his fist in the air. "Yeah! Most ninja are dicks, anyway. Get rid of them and you get rid of a lot of problems," he declared.

The stoic one said, "I am afraid I will not be much help. I have heard Takigakure is a village closely associated with water."

"Ah, right, your sand. Well, as long as you don't touch the water, you should be fine. No one would expect us anyway. We'll get the jump on 'em!"

"I do not think we can surprise them if they're well-hidden," the stoic one replied.

The armored giant ignored the two as they began to chatter back and forth, seemingly lost in their own squabble. He turned to the girl, and said, "If you do not wish it, then they will not be destroyed. However, they will eventually be purged, as dictated."

The girl made to reply, but another voice interrupted her.

"Woo, look at all of them. Took us a while to find you all, but this should be fun." The newcomer rolled his shoulders. "It's been a while since I've had a good fight. No offense, Itachi."

A man with sleek black hair, ominous red eyes, and pale skin walked out of the shadows and into the moonlight, eying the fireflies with interest. "None taken, Kisame. It may be prudent to figure out why they are together, though," he droned.

Kisame laughed and repositioned his bandaged sword. "Think we'll be rewarded if we get them all? It'll be tough, yeah, but Kakuzu's face'll be worth it in the end!"

The four jinchuriki stared at the two men wearing black cloaks with red clouds adorned on them. The clouds were visible in the dim light, if barely.

Out of the group of jinchuriki, Han spoke first. "They would not send hunters after us. They would not hire two missing ninja from different villages to work together, either. They would not affiliate with Uchiha Itachi," he said, careful not to show any aggression.

"We're here for that blonde brat over there," Kisame said with a grin. "If you knock him out and throw him over to us, we'll make it easy for the rest of ya. No pain whatsoever. Hell, I won't saw your legs off if you cooperate."

Gaara placed himself in front of Naruto, a fierce expression on his face. "You won't take him away from us," the redhead hissed.

Kisame merely laughed louder.

The girl was... afraid. She didn't know who the blue-skinned man was, but Uchiha Itachi's crimes were practically famous. It wasn't the fact that he had killed his own family that made her afraid. Having never had any family, she wouldn't be able to form any feelings regarding murdering relatives.

What was frightening to her was that he had managed to kill off his entire _clan_ in one night, inside of his own village, and somehow manage to escape without being caught or injured.

"Oi, oi!" Naruto yelled. "Let me have my fun, damn it! Being left out always sucked! Don't leave me hanging!"

Uzumaki Naruto's features sharpened. His face became more angular, his teeth sharper, and his eyes red. Nails sharpened into lethal weapons and a second skin made of fiery red chakra formed around his body. A lazily waving tail of chakra protruded from the bottom of his spine.

Gaara's gourd quickly broke apart, turning into sand that blotted out part of the moon and hovered above them all. His expression seemed to become even more fierce – no, more protective.

Han's armored suit simply began to emit small amounts of steam and the titan settled into a combat stance. His eyes were trained on the feet of his enemies.

For her part, the girl shrank back, still unsure of herself. She knew the three in front of her were containers, but it was difficult to know if they were powerful enough to drive back _the_ Uchiha Itachi. He had murdered his entire family when he was thirteen!

Her two... brothers?... who looked slightly younger than her were around that age, though.

"Don't worry, Fuu-chan," Naruto growled, looking back at her, "I won't let anyone hurt my family. I don't know why they want me, but I have a pretty good idea. I'll never let you guys win!"

Then, the blonde rushed forward to attack just as Gaara's sand lanced down. Han leapt to intercept Kisame, who was swinging his sword in Naruto's direction.

Itachi stepped back, evading Naruto's frantic, chaotic swipes. His Sharingan could predict their motions, if partially. What really surprised him was the chakra tail. Every now and then, it would swing forth, and Itachi's eyes couldn't predict its path.

It was as if Naruto wasn't the one who was controlling it. Those implications were intriguing, although not really reassuring.

He expected Naruto to fall when he punched and kicked him with crushing force. Much to his surprise, the blonde jinchuriki took the hits without any indication of pain, if the manic laughter was anything to note. In retribution, the corrosive chakra cloak he was wearing burned Itachi's hands and feet every time the Uchiha attacked.

"Don't ignore me!" Naruto screamed. Another boiling red tail formed and Itachi redoubled his efforts to avoid the two red, bubbling tails.

The blonde grinned in victory as his tails sliced cleanly through Itachi's chest. The Uchiha, however, exploded into smoke. As Naruto was looking around, he caught Itachi staring at him with an oddly-patterned Sharingan.

Kisame, for the most part, was successfully rolling around spears of sand and steam-propelled punches. His sword, Samehada, was designed to devour chakra. That special property was why it was so deadly, aside from its size and sharp scales.

Normally, the blue swordsman excelled at close combat. Massive strength tended to help in that aspect.

However, Han was physically stronger than Kisame and taller than him too. In addition, if Han was too close to Kisame, the swordsman couldn't find enough room to swing the sword around with enough force to hurt or maim.

Whenever he jumped away for a breather, spears of sand would descend from the sky. Samehada would eat the chakra controlling them right before Han caught up to him. The process would repeat itself and the cycle was getting annoying. In fact, he was half-tempted to flood the area.

"Kisame, we're leaving!" Itachi ordered. The swordsman only let out a small scoff before rapidly speeding over to where his partner was. One Uzumaki Naruto was left on the ground, barely breathing, but otherwise unharmed.

Itachi had backed away as large, grotesque insects that did not look normal in any way flew around Naruto's prone body in a fast, circular pattern. There were enough to call the group of insects a swarm.

They were dark green, as large as a man's fists, and buzzed irritatingly. Thin, needle-like stingers hung off of their abdomen and large, ringed eyes moved independently of each other. Feathery wings kept them afloat in the air and powerful mandibles clicked together.

Standing behind Naruto was Fuu, and she screamed in anger at Naruto's unconscious form. In response to her temper, the insects exploded out of formation, seeking two targets who were no longer present.

"It is all right."

Fuu looked up in frustration as her special insects faded into the surroundings.

"Whatever illusion Uchiha Itachi cast upon him is fading, and he is in good hands," Han explained. "You should ask your Tailed Beast for more help. It will reveal these things to you, and grant you additional abilities like the one you were using."

"But-"

"They may have dissuaded you with propaganda, but ignore their warnings. They were led astray. They only assume this ability of yours is for their own benefit."

Staring down at the unconscious Uzumaki, Fuu made a quick decision. Her hesitation largely stemmed from her village. Although she had a connection with them, it wasn't great nor significant.

Perhaps it was time to sever that bond and shed all of the misery they had subjected her to. Her insects could devour everything. All they needed was a command, or an emotional impulse, or perhaps a thought...

The village did deserve it, didn't they?

The buzzing in her head agreed wholeheartedly.

Han lifted Naruto up as Gaara worriedly examined him. "Come, children. We shall reach them, and they will grant us asylum."

Fuu furrowed her brow in confusion. "They won't trust you three even if you aren't wearing your forehead protectors..."

"Kyuubi-san has a way," Gaara said, still looking over his brother. He made eye contact and gave her a small smile though, conveying his appreciation in that one gesture.

They left the clearing.

* * *

**Just an FYI: next chapter should be up much quicker than this one. I just wanted to get some things across and introduce Fuu. She has the ability to change insects and turn them into massive amalgamations of horror. There isn't just one brand, either.**

**If there are any errors, let me know.**


End file.
